This was my first time working with a travel agent, and David did not disappoint. He helped us…read morebuild an unforgettable, three week excursion through Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia. As the scope and duration of our itinerary grew beyond any trip we had previously taken, it quickly became overwhelming to plan it all ourselves. David worked hard to accommodate our wish list, and coordinated with multiple entities to ensure we had a seamless experience. I highly recommend DesignedTravel!

I was hesitant to work with a travel agent, but I am SO glad I found David! After spending several…read morehours trying to piece together a family trip to Japan on my own, I knew I was in over my head. This was our first trip to Japan and my Japanese is limited and this was a special occasion, so I felt a lot of pressure in planning this trip and opted for his fee-based planning services, which I'm so glad I did! What I appreciated most about David: 1) he offered a meet and greet before I committed to his paid services and he spent the time to learn about what we were hoping for in our trip, what were our concerns, fears, etc., and answer any question I had; 2) he truly listened and designed an itinerary that fit us perfectly and took into account specific needs we had; 3) he gave honest and candid tips about what we could reasonably expect within our budget; 4) he worked with us to find options that made the most sense (we had some wriggle room on cost but still had a budget); 5) he met with me before the trip to answer any questions and planning tips; 6) he met with me after our trip to talk about how it went and he invited my feedback. He had a local travel agent partner who helped design the trip, which I really appreciated because she had great local insight. She was also one of our guides for a food tour in Osaka and it was one of our highlights of the trip, she was delightful! It was a good mix of guided tours and free time, and all three tour guides were excellent! I would absolutely recommend him and hope to work with him again!

James was amazing. Had lots of great suggestions for things to do. We did alll of them and did…read morenot regret one decision. Give that man a raise!!!!!!

Perfectly located just in front of Seattle's largest tourist attraction, the Pike Place Market…read more This kiosk is filled with travel guides and coupon books. It is also open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m with a concierge to help you maximize your time in the Emerald City. The staff member covered all the bases from transportation to restaurants to tours of the city (walking, bus and boat). They will even help you book reservations for certain activities. He pointed out a few random things to see at the market (gum wall, ewwww) and the surrounding area and was great all around welcome wagon for the city. Make sure you pick up both a Seattle Deals and Seattle Premier Attractions booklet which contain coupons for tours, restaurants and shopping. We used several during our trip.

This is the most professional travel agency that I have ever dealt with. I never needed to use one…read morebefore, but now realize the value and security I travel agents provide! My trip to England coordinated by Eric was perfect! He set Everything up in advance and I just had to enjoy the experience! The London hotel was not up to par, and he advocated for months for a partial refund and Sky Miles! This was an unexpected bonus! I'll be using Eric for all my future travel! Excellent customer service!!!

Logistical disasters abounded! Went on a "luxury wine and food tour" that was 50% luxury and 50%…read moremotel six. The five day stretch in the middle was a bumbling mix of terrible winery, a jolly tour guide who knew nothing about food or wine, a moldy hotel bathroom and endless hours on a small bus. Had to pay extra for a suite and then had our suite given away to another couple on the tour - with no offering of a refund until we called it to their attention. Fortunately the first hotel was lovely and the last three days saved the whole trip. I paid way too much money for such mediocre service and accommodations and transportation. Trust level with this agency is 0. Never again

We just got back from a wonderful Alaska experience coordinated by Alaska Active Travel. The…read morelogistics were flawless. They coordinated all lodging and all of the tours. We really enjoyed our time and highly recommend using this group.

Thoughtful and thorough travel prep! I enjoyed working with Andrea, who responded quickly to…read moreseveral of my inquiries about Alaska travel. We traveled in August to Glacier Bay National Park, leaving from Juneau. Logistically, everything was taken care of. With a ferry or flight option to Gustavus, the jumping-off point, we opted for the ferry. Once we arrived we got on a bus to the Glacier Bay Lodge, for an included overnight. The next day's boat ride to explore the park was a spectacular treat. Having been in SE AK for a rainy week, I was hoping against hope for a glimmer of blue sky as we traveled to see the glaciers. Amazingly, the sun burst through the clouds as we began our day, bringing out sunglasses and sunscreen. It was a party atmosphere as people reveled in the full daylight. We got back to the lodge in time to be bused to the airport for a flight back to Juneau, with the sun showing off the mountains and waters from above. I was thankful for a window seat! I would highly recommend Alaska Active Travel as they are detail-oriented and can provide many options to customize your trip. P.S. - On cue - the rain resumed in Juneau the next day. We were very lucky!

Simply the best! We've used Hawaiian Honeymoons not for a honeymoon but for numerous trips to…read moreHawaii and more. Sandy is extremely knowledgable about Hawaii and has recommended the best places for us to stay. Her service is top notch and the prices she was able to get us were better than anything we found online. Thank you Hawaiian Honeymoons for taking the stress out of planning a vacation!

Sandy is the BEST travel agent. We have travelled to the Cook Islands, multiple trips to Maui and…read morethe Big Island, Alaska, New Orleans, San Francisco, Kentucky, Tennesee, Alabama, New York, Arizona, Disneyland, and so many other destinations. Sandy's suggestions and results are amazing. We have never been unhappy with her accommodation choices or selection of fun things to do in our destination cities. She is always prompt in responding to messages and changes we might make. My family have all used her at some point and they feel the same. Want the BEST? You only have to look as far as Hawaiian Honeymoons and Sandy Gadd. Don't be thrown by the name...Hawaii isn't her only area of expertise. She is also GREAT at coordinating multiple family members wanting to travel together!! We just returned from an 8 person trip to Maui and her help was invaluable. I'm ready to think about a new adventure and Sandy will definitely be making my arrangements!! Trust her knowledge and her choices...she will make your vacation a time to remember for all the right reasons!!

In planning a three week trip to France, Jessica's services with Get Out of Town were priceless…read more She helped my boyfriend and I narrow down our locations so that we could see our top sights in the French Riviera, Provence, the Alps and Paris while still getting to relax. Jessica was always quick to respond to questions, made a seamless itinerary and, most importantly, made what could have been a stressful experience in planning easy, fun and exciting with her knowledge and friendly demeanor. She also knew how to maximize our interests, where we needed to purchase tickets in advance, and the many minute details that needed to be covered before leaving - even when I needed to change our schedule several times. In short, Jessica went above and beyond in helping plan a trip of a lifetime. I highly recommend having Jessica help you with your next trip and plan on having her plan my honeymoon in the future!

Jessica's help on my trip to Italy was so helpful! I knew the towns I wanted to visit, but was…read moreunsure about some of the details. She was able to say, if you are in this town, I would suggest you don't leave without seeing this attraction. She provided advice on what attractions were worth a professional tour guide (the Vatican) and which weren't. She even recommended a tour guide who was FANTASTIC! She helped with logistics (i.e. how long I should stay in one area to see all that I wanted to see, how to get from point a to point b, and from where should I fly in/out? She even provided an itinerary on line that I could access based on what we discussed. Her prices are reasonable and she saved me hours of time! I have already recommended her to a friend. I would definitely utilize Jessica's services in the future.

My wife & I have been on two AMAZING vacations planned by Lexi, but this review is specifically for…read moreour honeymoon. As the groom, I took on "honeymoon planning," and to be honest, was struggling at it. Feeling overwhelmed, I reached out to Lexi, who in the past had planned a vacation for us in Italy (which was stunning). I was on the phone with Lexi within 24 hours, describing what we were looking for in a honeymoon and asking if her service would be a good fit for us. She was honest with us in what her service could provide, and we ended up giving her the keys to our honeymoon. It was perfect. Lexi was careful about respecting our budget, and with that in mind, gave us 3-4 realistic options for trips we could take. We settled on Anguilla -- an island I had literally never heard of -- with an extra stop in St. Martin, and it was everything we had asked for. Side note, if you enjoy beautiful beaches, wonderful people, relaxation and delicious food, go to Anguilla. The BEST part about working with Lexi is that the experience does not end when the planning is finished. Lexi was available to us throughout the trip, from packing and pre-departure, and then during the trip for things as simple as finding us the best rental cars, modifying our reservations while we relaxed at the beach, or finding the coolest little spots to explore. A final note on how helpful Lexi is - there was an unfortunate death in our family while we were on the honeymoon. Lexi was immediately available and helpful in evaluating our options and planning our return home. While I hope that doesn't come up during a vacation for anyone else, if it does, you want Lexi on your team. I cannot recommend her more highly.

Lexi helped us plan and book all transportation, activities and dinner reservations in Florence and…read moreCapri. She gave us plenty of options while planning before we left and was super responsive while we were in Italy, including helping us find new reservations last minute. The planning phase was seamless and Lexi clearly has intimate knowledge of Italy. She was receptive to our ideas and feedback, planning the perfect trip. Would definitely recommend her to anyone looking for a similar experience.

I think e-bike might be my new favorite way to explore Bainbridge Island -- made super simple…read morethanks to bike Bike Barn! It was so easy to call and reserve in advance, and you can get a reasonable price on a wide variety of bikes. They have a fairly large fleet, but tend to get busy on the weekends. If it's a smaller group, you can probably just get a day-of rental. We got an e-bike with both the throttle and pedal assist, and it really helped to tackle some of the big hills on the island. It was easy to adjust and the battery life is no joke. The rentals also came with helmets and locks, which were great when we stopped for lunch. It's located a stone's throw from the ferry terminal, and I explored the north side of the island in ~2 hours -- my only regret is not getting a longer time frame. I'll definitely be back!

What a fun experience ! We did a two hour e-bike rental from Bike Barn and a special thank you to…read moreKaris for assisting us and recommending a nice bike route along the southern waterfront in Bainbridge. Located only a few steps from the arrival dock at Bainbridge Island- Bike Barn rents out several types of bikes at reasonable prices. Definitely recommend this experience for a day trip to Bainbridge.

A MUST when visiting Mt. Rainier / Crystal Mountain resort - it was the perfect way to admire what…read morethe wifey had just accomplished, running down the gigantic mountain, the ride up is about 10 - 15mins, all worth it!!! breath taking views of Mt. Rainier, do dress accordingly, it was pretty windy and about 10 degrees colder up on the mountain. there is a restaurant/restrooms observation chairs and a beer garden at the top! but the view!!! stunning, the greens/whites/ snow peak colors with the sky blue in the background. as usual parking could be hit or miss, they do have several parking lots but the closest one to the gandola ( the paved one ) is on the smaller side, they have other lots designated by letters ( which also unpaved ) Info on Gondola here: https://www.crystalmountainresort.com/things-to-do/activities/mt-rainier-gondola

Came for the day while friends skied. Beautiful, sunny and gorgeous! Snow already melting - this…read moreis the last day of the season. Gondola tickets $54 each and you get 2 round trips.

We have used Mary Valle to plan out and book several trips for ud, including a few weeks in…read moreIreland, and a couple of trips to New Zealand. On one trip she spent considerable time in arranging and then booking a number of B&Bs and Farmstays that we had already selected on our own, as well as interesting hotels. She is always available while we are traveling to make itinerary changes, or book additional accommodations, events, or specially accommodations, as well as airline changes, train tickets, ferry reservations, and such. After using Mary for a few trips she became rather intuitive about what we like or don't like. We wouldn't consider traveling without Mary's assistance. She is always just a text away. Dick and Paula Chase

I have used Mary Valle twice for our travel advisor and I will, indeed, reach out to her again for…read moreour next trip. Most recently Mary helped us plan and execute our trip to Italy. Our trip to discover my family in a small hamlet in Italy was magical. Mary was sensitive to our needs and chose an excellent driver who was prompt and courteous. We were not sure what to expect and when we got into this vintage 1600 town with just one commercial building; overwhelmed with the friendliness, and we ended up being there for almost 5 hours! When planning the trip, Mary listened to our needs and suggested 3-4 hotels at each place we stayed. She suggests hotels that cover a wide price range, so we are free to make the decision that suits our lifestyle and budget. Mary organized various transportation methods, including a train transport to Naples. Mary is someone I trust for suggestions to make our trips meaningful and stress free.